"always smiling and always will"...a moto of mine that has stuck with me for years. Loving life since my transplant! Taking on various challenges from the Bupa Great South Run; UK, European & World Transplant Games in various sports; travelling the globe & sailing in the Clipper 11-12 Race. This year competing with Team GB in the World Transplant Games, South Africa

Jussie sails with Clipper 11-12

I sailed the last leg (8) in 2012 - USA,Nova Scotia,Ireland,Netherlands & UK. Travelling 4,000 miles, approx 22 days at sea, with 4 races in this leg.

Sunday, 1 May 2011

Crew Allocation Day

Today's headlines as follows in photo below........

WOOHOOOooooooo!!!!

This is it! The day we get to find out our crew, skipper, yacht, and let the fun begin! I arrived the night before and met up with various people met so far from level 1, 2 and 3 theory for a yummy meal in Ocean Village.

Do you recognise any of these faces? Are they in your team? Adrian, Cath and crazy moi in middle (top photo) and Sarah, Shona, Paddy, Lesley, Catherine, Chris and then me (bottom photo)

Still time to relax before the main meeting and have a coffee with Wendy, Ollie and Wend

352 participants in this room - more people than any of the other years attending a crew allocation day and still not all the people taking part in the race! A 10am punctual start and time to learn more news about the race and hear words of advice from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. The start of the race is July 31st and will be from somewhere in the Solent - still to be confirmed exactely where. Then to meet the skippers and for them to read the names of who are in their teams. Woo!! I am with a skipper named, Gordon Reid on yacht CV1. With a crew of 49 people doing 1 or more leg (s) of the race and with 8 of those doing the complete race!!! Brave souls indeedy.

I also learnt more about the leg that I'm doing and will be away for about 2 months approx in total (including time at ports) from end May to June & July 2012. I will no doubt miss the European Heart & Lung Transplant Games which normally fall about this time over the Summer - which was a commitment I was prepared to take. The games are in Holland, and ironically - I will be sailing there....I wonder if the dates will be when the actual games take place, then I could say hello to all my friends across Europe/UK too and maybe enter a 100m sprint ;)

And here are some of as Transplant Ambassadors:- Nick, Steve, me, John, TT and Darius ranging from transplant surgeons, transplant co-ordinator and transplant recipients.I think the word is getting out and about us, and of the 500 people taking part in the Round the World Yacht race, there is a minority of us - seeking to raise awareness of Organ Donation (about 10 within this group) and about half of those actual transplant recipients. But, me being the only double-lungs. Bit surreal for me still, breathing with someone else's lungs, but hope my donor is proud of me.

Once we were informed of our skipper/team, we were all grouped together to hear from Gordon (skipper) about his background, crew roles, pre-race schedule, working out a boat song, boat dynamics and rules, and much much more.After the meeting at the luxurious De Vere Hotel in Southampton, coaches were taken to Ocean Village to have group photos of our team/skipper - then an overall photo of everyone with some of the yachts there. ELECTRIC - was the atmosphere...cheering...clapping..so many smiles...and the banter had already started.......

Here I am with Callum, TT and Nick as part of CV1 waiting for a coach.

Onlookers had come to support us all - and probably thinking hundreds of crazy people about to embark on sailing around the world, I wish I had the bottle to do that - brave individuals.

And lovely to see Sir Robin Knox-Johnston overlooking on the balcony supporting the new bunch of Clipper 11-12 crew. If he can do it - then so can we!!

And here is the Skipper, Gordon - and 2 crew members on our 'Winning' Team to be!!!

A mass of red coats, buzzing ambience and chants - but, don't worry you other teams. CV1 is proud to already announce that the trophy have our name engraved....we just got wait a whole year to get it!!

Oh and before I sign out to yet another entry....a big shout out to those (who WILL know who they are) who said have read my blogs but never commented or tick 'like' on the Facebook Clipper 11-12 Group. But.....in a space of almost 5 minutes about 4 people said to me...."Oh...your the lung chick...I've seen your photos....I recognise you from your red hair...I know about you"...it did make me smile and chuckle. I'm pleased to know that even though sometimes people may never say anything...that secretly my blog is read. But...you can tick 'like' or comment or request to add me ;)

I still have level 3 practical to do and level 4 - both back to back in July. But, for now as some of you are aware...I'm competing in my 1st ever World Transplant Games in Sweden next month and need keep training for that - eek.

Okies....time for me to say goodbye for now. Loved the weekend, it totally rocked! And fantastic to meet so many new people. Bring it ON!!!

Contact ME

World Transplant Games

Website used from 2005-2009

About Me

I am very lucky to be alive after a double-lung transplant in July 2006. I suffered the rarest lung disease called, Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (Lam). I kept fighting for my life and trying to breathe each time my lung collapsed (15 times). I used to be on 24 hour oxygen to help me breathe and also wheelchair bound. At one stage I ended up in a coma (3weeks) and remained on life support for almost 2 months. I had to learn how to walk again with a zimaframe, and start to re-build my life/confidence/strength up. I want to enjoy my life with the extension this transplant has given me. My journey post transplant has been challenging with health issues, but, I try to remain as positive as possible.